March 19, 2026
Jackson Hornung is working hard this spring to earn another promotion in 2026. Finishing last season with Double-A New Hampshire, Hornung is poised to make his next jump at some point this year.
“I think there’s a lot of different factors that play into a promotion,” explained Hornung. “I think I just need to continue to hit well, lockdown my play in the field, and be a good teammate to earn another promotion.”
Hornung slashed .287/.367/.452 with an OPS of .819 after 345 at-bats in 2025.
A major contributor to Hornung’s success at the plate is his ever-changing plate approach.
“I make adjustments all the time, throughout the year and the off-season,” stated Hornung. “This year I just tried to work on being more creative and open some things up to be able to do damage against all different types of arms and pitch shapes.”
Showing some extra base power last year, Hornung finished the year with 20 doubles, five triples, and nine home runs.
“I definitely take pride in production,” Hornung added. “Being able to drive in guys helps the team win. I think I was able to showcase that last year because my teammates constantly put me in great spots to have good chances for production. I moved up to Double-A New Hampshire halfway through the year and the guys were great at relaying information on what to expect from pitchers they’ve already faced 5 to 10 times before.”
Hornung developed a lot in the field as well last season. As a former catcher, Hornung quit playing the backstop position and focused on first base and left field in 2025.
“Yes, I feel like I’m developing a lot at both first base and the outfield,” said Hornung. “It has been a really cool experience being able to play both and be able to be on the field to help my team. We have the best staff who has really helped me with anything I’ve needed. I’ve learned a lot from them as well as my teammates who has helped me be more comfortable out there. My goal is to just keep progressing in those spots and continue to gain trust that I can be out there on the field every night.”
Despite giving up the catching role, Hornung’s background behind the plate has helped him – both offensively and defensively speaking.
“Catching has for sure helped me with the transition to other positions,” Hornung added. “I feel I have an advantage seeing the ball in the outfield from being a former catcher. Being able to read swings and tendencies of hitters come from when I caught growing up. I think it has helped on an offensive side too. I feel like I can understand what a pitcher and catcher are trying to do in certain scenarios because I’ve been on the other side of it.”
His great 2025 season helped Hornung get into some major league spring training games.
“Yeah, I got into a few games this spring,” stated Hornung. “It was a cool experience to be there and get to be a part of those games. It’s still the same baseball game just on a little bit bigger of a scale. Being able to get into those games and showcase what I have was great. Having the ability to be there and make some plays and having my family and friends from other parts of the country being able to tune in and watch was amazing.”
Be sure to watch for Jackson Hornung in 2026, as he makes a push towards another promotion.